PrimeMinister

I was just wondering what would be better to buy the pocketop or just a regular ppc keyboard like the one DELL sells. I hear that the pocketop one has to be really close and also has to be placed in a specific position to get the infrared link(defeating the wireless purpose). Does anyone have any idea which one I should buy? Thanks for all your help.

xdalaw

I bought the Dell foldable keyboard. I used to use a Targus Stowaway on a prior PDA, and was comfortable with the idea of a "fixed" keyboard. The Dell is definitely smaller than my Stowaway, and the keyboard does take a couple of tries to get used to, but I really like it now. It is a solid and well made device and is quite portable.

As for the Pockettop. I, too was trying to choose between the two. I liked the lower price and compatability of the Pockettop if I chose to use it with another PDA (perish the thought). But, I was uncomfortable with the IR connection and the screen-rotation and separate stand for the PDA just sounded like too many pieces or issues that I could screw-up. When I did research the issue, it did seem that Pockettop users were very pleased with their choice.

Bottom-line, you probably wouldn't go wrong with either. I like the Dell, but that's just me. If you do opt for the Dell, make sure you time it right and get a discount. I got 15% off and free-shipping, which made the price more tolerable.

-- ADG

lindsj

I agree, the Dell keyboard is very good. i would not have spent $100 for it, but it was a gift. I too like that it has a direct connection and does not use the IR port. No seperate stands, mirrors or gizmos. I think the compatibility of the Dell keyboard is great, and the way it folds up is ultra cool. You can really impress your friends and coworkers with the way the center section pops up with one fluid motion. I did not like that you would have to soft reset your Ax every time you rotated the screen to use the pocket top keyboard (at least that is the impression I got from other posts on this board)

Another point is that the Dell keyboard itself does have a port for the standard Dell charger. So, for some reason you use the keyboard near a outlet, you can charge the Dell as you work on it. Not the most amazing attribute, but possibly usefull.

The only thing I wish the Dell keyboard had was a hotkey to activate the 'new' function. If it had this type of hotkey, we could launch a program like work from the key board and start a new document without having to use the stylus at all. Anyone have an idea how we could add this ability to the keyboard?

JakeRich

I have the Pocketop version and I do like it. The screen rotation I use most is the 180 degree, then I put the Ax on the stand upside down. The result is that the IR is very near the IR on the keyboard and it works perfectly. And if you rotate 180 degrees it doesn't require a soft reset. Only if you go landscape is the soft reset required. The stand slides on the keyboard and the resulting package is about the same size as the Ax.

It's all a matter of personal choice.